Felix, Author at Felix's Gaming Pages

Einherjar

This sprue of plastic space dwarves from Wargames Atlantic was a freebie on the cover of the January 2024 issues of Miniature Wargames.

You get three models on the sprue with lots of options.

The Einherjar are from Wargames Atlantic’s Death Fields range.

For thousands of years, advanced alien civilizations have visited the Earth for one purpose: to steal their bravest warriors. For centuries, the cream of Earth’s soldiers have been taken against their will to fight, die, and be reborn in arenas throughout the galaxy. The Game Guilds provide some of the most watched sport in the known universe with matches broadcast in thousands of systems. A perennial favourite of sports fans everywhere are the humans – a primitive race from the far edge of the galaxy. Over the millennia, the finest warriors of that backwater planet have been brought to the arenas to fight each other and a host of other sentient species and deadly creatures. Even now, thousands of years since abductions began, Recruiters still acquire the best of Human space’s warriors for the games. The humans go on in their tiny light-years bubble of space attacking each others colony worlds, believing themselves the most advanced race in the universe while the rest of the galaxy watches their immortal ancestors fight and die in the Death Fields…

The Einherjar were descended from Norsemen.

Abducted from their longship on the return voyage from a raid on Wessex, these Norsemen’s new owner settled them on a high gravity world and began their training for the Death Fields circuit. After each battle as wounds miraculously healed and even the dead were brought back to life, the warriors thought of themselves as the fabled Einherjar – the ghostly warriors of Valhalla who fight and die each day and are reborn to feast each night. Over the centuries, their ongoing regeneration while living primarily on their high-gravity homeworld has resulted in stunted growth for themselves and their offspring. Their diminished stature in no way effects their prowess on the fields of battle as they win contest after contest against other teams human and otherwise.

These are no squats, but they do bear a resemblance to the Leagues of Votann ranges.

Handley Page HP.137 Jetstream

The Handley Page HP.137 Jetstream is a small twin-turboprop airliner, with a pressurised fuselage.

This Scottish Aviation Jetstream T.1 which served at RAF Finningley was on display at RAF Cosford.

More photographs of the Handley Page HP.137 Jetstream.

Napoleonic British Line Infantry – South Essex

On the cover of the most recent issue of Wargames Illustrated was a free sprue of Napoleonic British Line Infantry from Warlord Games.

You get five models on the sprue.

I think these will supplement my 95th Rifles models as soldiers of the South Essex.

I have a few free sprues on the workbench now, and I must try and get then made, undercoated and painted.

My first experience of wargaming was Napoleonics with plastic Airfix soldiers and metal Minifigs.

I really enjoyed both watching the Sharpe TV series and then reading the Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell.

Napoleonic Workbench.

Deimos Pattern Predator

The Predator is perhaps the best known and most widespread variant of the basic Rhino chassis. Augmented with superior armour and firepower, it entirely sacrifices the Rhino’s troop transport capacity in favour of ammunition and generators for its formidable weapon systems.

This Deimos Pattern Predator was on display at Warhammer World.

See the Deimos Pattern Predator Miniatures Gallery.

See the workbench feature on the Deimos Pattern Predator Battle Tank.

PzKpfw IV

The Panzer IV was a German medium tank that played a pivotal role in World War II. It was the most numerous German tank of the war, with over 8,500 produced between 1939 and 1945. The Panzer IV was a versatile tank that was used in a variety of roles, including infantry support, tank-versus-tank combat, and reconnaissance.

The Panzer IV was originally designed as a close-support tank to work alongside the Panzer III medium tank. It was armed with a short, stubby 75mm gun that fired high-explosive and smoke rounds. The Panzer IV was also relatively well-armoured for its time, with up to 80mm of armour on the front of the hull.

The Panzer IV was produced in a number of variants throughout the war. The most common variant was the Ausf.G, which was produced from 1942 to 1945. The Ausf.G featured a number of improvements over earlier variants, including a longer 75mm gun, thicker armour, and a more powerful engine.

The Panzer IV was a very effective tank in the early stages of the war. Its combination of firepower, armor, and mobility made it a formidable opponent for Allied tanks.However, as the war progressed, the Panzer IV became increasingly outmatched by newer Allied tanks, such as the Soviet T-34 and the British Cromwell.

The Panzer IV was one of the most important tanks of World War II. It was a versatile and reliable tank that played a key role in the German war effort. The Panzer IV is still remembered today as a symbol of German military power. The Panzer IV was the basis for a number of other armoured fighting vehicles, including the Sturmpanzer IV and the Jagdpanzer IV.

The Panzer IV at Bovington was completed as an Ausf D, with 30mm extra armour on the superstructure front and 20mm armour on the hull and superstructure sides before it even left the factory. In 1943 additional armour was put on the front and the original 75mm KwK L/24 replaced with the KwK 40 L/43 and this may well have been as part of the development of these various changes.

Sharpe’s Command

The next Sharpe book has been published, Sharpe’s Command.

“If any man can do the impossible it’s Richard Sharpe . . .”

And the impossible is exactly what the formidable Major Sharpe is asked to do when he’s dispatched on an undercover mission behind enemy lines, deep in the Spanish countryside. For a remote village is about to become the centre of a battle for the future of Europe. Sitting high above the Almaraz bridge, it is the last link between two French armies, one in the north and one in the south; if they meet, the British are doomed. Only Sharpe’s small group of men – with their cunning and courage to rely on – stand in their way. But they’re rapidly outnumbered, enemies are hiding in plain sight, and time is running out . . .

I think Bernard Cornwell taking Sharpe back to the Peninsular War (rather than forward) was a really clever idea.

I enjoyed the last Sharpe book, Sharpe’s Assassin, it was great to see Sharpe back in action.

Buy Sharpe’s Command from Amazon.

Legion Dreadnought Drop Pod

This Legion Dreadnought Drop Pod was on display at Warhammer World.

Legion Dreadnought drop pods are larger than the general service drop pods employed by the infantry of the Legiones Astartes, with a sturdier frame and more powerful engine designed to support the formidable machine shell of a Dreadnought. As a result, these armoured capsules strike with unprecedented speed, making a dangerously meteoric descent from orbit to deliver their lethal cargo. Legions value these drop pods both for their ability to deploy Dreadnoughts safely onto the battlefield, and for the sheer impact of a mighty combat walker arriving from the skies.

Vickers Valiant

The Vickers Valiant was a British high-altitude jet bomber designed to carry nuclear weapons, and in the 1950s and 1960s was part of the Royal Air Force’s “V bomber” strategic deterrent force. It was developed by Vickers-Armstrongs in response to a specification issued by the Air Ministry for a nuclear-armed jet-powered bomber. The Valiant was the first of the V bombers to become operational, and was followed by the Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan.

This Vickers Valiant was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Valiant was the only V bomber to have dropped live nuclear weapons (for test purposes).

The Valiant was the first of the V Bombers and to me looks like an aircraft of the 1950s, compared to the much more futuristic look of the Victor.

Churchill AVRE

The Churchill AVRE was armed with a 230 mm petard spigot mortar.

The Churchill AVRE was one of the so-called ‘funnies’ designed by Percy Hobart specifically for use on the D-Day beaches to break through the German fortified defences.

The AVRE was the most successful ‘funny’ type and AVRE vehicles remain in service with the British Army today.

This Churchill AVRE was on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington.

There was also a Churchill AVRE at Duxford.

Land Raider Proteus

There were various Land Raider Proteus models on display at Warhammer World.

Mechanicus tech-savants believe that the Land Raider Proteus is a precursor to the Phobos pattern vehicle now found amongst the armouriums of the Adeptus Astartes. Bulkier and faster than the Phobos, ancient and forgotten data-looms describe the Proteus as a forward assault vehicle, commonly fielded in Explorator missions during the dawning days of Mankind’s fledgling galactic empire.

Those of us who have been playing Warhammer 40K since it was first released will recognise this model. It is of course a new version of the original Land Raider that was released back in 1987 following the release of the 1st edition of Warhammer 40,000, Rogue Trader. Forge World did release a resin version over ten years ago and this is the model on display above.

There was also this variant Proteus with armoured hull mounted dual lascannons on display made from the new plastic kit.